Hooper happy with Grand Prix performance

“It was a challenging first day in which the team showed great character,” says Hooper, who saw Wales win in the last play against Poland (15-14) and grind out a 25-12 victory – despite a red card – against a good Scotland team.

Ireland, one of the form teams this season, would prove a step too far in the final pool game, but the previous results helped set up a quarter-final encounter with England on day two. Wales were without the services of co-captain Jaz Joyce for that match, a player whose calibre would be a tough loss for any side, particularly as she’d scored two hat-tricks over the course of the weekend. 

Of the 26-14 loss to England, in which Wales put some excellent defensive phases together (and scored a good try straight off the training ground), Hooper says: “It was a great contest against one of the top teams, and we can take a lot of confidence from that.” 

Scotland were the opponents once more in the plate semi-final; an absorbing match that went down to the wire. “Once again, this team showed how they never give up. We scored in the last play, but needed the conversion to win it. Our co-captain Hannah Jones showed real composure to slot the kick and give us the [26-24] win.”

A clinical performance against Belgium in the plate final showed a glimpse of what this team is capable of, he believes – the Belgians having been something of a banana skin for Wales in Dubai and Hong Kong this season.

“It was very much a squad effort over the weekend, and the players believed in each other,” he says. Wales won 29-0, putting any memories of past results against the Belgians behind them. “It bodes well for the tournaments to come.”

Wales now lie in fifth position after the weekend’s efforts, hot on the heels of England who sit just two points above them. The second leg of Rugby Europe’s Women’s Grand Prix Series will take place on 1st September in Kazan, one of the host cities of this year’s Fifa World Cup. 

Wales Women: Alisha Butchers, Bethan Lewis, Dyddgu Hywel, Gemma Rowland, Hannah Jones (co-captain), Jaz Joyce (co-captain), Jess Kavanagh-Williams, Kayleigh Powell, Kelsey Jones, Lucy Packer, Mel Clay, Niamh Terry. Travelling Reserve: Ellie Morgan.